CAPAS, Tarlac — The Sangguniang Bayan of Capas unanimously passed a resolution on July 27 declaring Lt. Col. Owen M. Avenido, PAF, Commander of Camp Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB), persona non grata due to actions that allegedly disrupted local government operations and compromised public services.
Municipal Resolution No. 112-2026, sponsored by Councilor Ariel G. Batican, stems from a formal request made on July 18 by Capas Mayor Roseller Rodriguez. The town council cited repeated incidents under Avenido’s command that hindered intergovernmental cooperation, delayed essential government programs, and strained long-standing civil-military relations.
During the special legislative session presided over by Vice Mayor Alex C. Espinosa, local officials highlighted various instances where military checkpoints blocked authorized individuals and public servants from entering the base.
Among the cited incidents was an emergency response delay involving a Tarlac Electric Cooperative (TARELCO) board member and service team, who were allegedly stopped at an Air Force checkpoint despite responding to an active power line and electric meter fire inside the area.
Furthermore, local officials expressed frustration over municipal councilors being denied entry to attend the annual Brigada Eskwela activities in upland barangays, including Sta. Juliana, Maruglo, Buena, and O’Donnell. Local leaders noted that military officials under Avenido’s command referred to affected residents in these communities as “illegal settlers.”
Resolution documents also reveal that personnel executing the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pag-abot Program, staff distributing municipal social welfare assistance, and representatives implementing an educational Memorandum of Agreement for Sta. Juliana Integrated School were similarly turned away at base checkpoints. These rejections forced essential public services to be conducted outside the reservation boundary, causing significant disruption to beneficiaries, including vulnerable sectors and Indigenous Cultural Communities.
Local officials noted that repeated invitations extended to Lt. Col. Avenido for formal dialogue were consistently snubbed or met only with military representatives who offered no concrete resolutions, stating merely that the matters would be elevated to higher headquarters. Dissatisfaction deepened following a July 20 Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting regarding the base reservation where the local government unit of Capas was completely excluded, an act local leaders characterized as a direct insult to the municipality.
The session was attended by stakeholders and representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and TARELCO II.
Despite the firm declaration, the Sangguniang Bayan emphasized that the measure is not an act of hostility toward the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine Air Force as institutions. Rather, the resolution reflects the local council’s duty to safeguard constituent welfare and preserve local governance authority.
The municipal council respectfully requested the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force to relieve Lt. Col. Avenido from her current command at CERAB and designate a replacement who will foster constructive dialogue and mutual respect with the municipality.
Copies of the resolution have been forwarded to the Office of the President, the Department of National Defense, the Senate Committee on National Defense, the AFP leadership, and the Provincial Government of Tarlac.
